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The field of endeavor to which the present invention pertains generally relates to the field of exercise and therapeutic machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of resistance and weight-bearing exercise machines for strengthening the torso, the inner spine and muscles thereof.
Over the past several years, there has been exercise machines being developed for strengthening the spine and torso. However, no real effort has been made to develop a machine which is particularly adapted for directly strengthening the torso, the inner spine and muscles thereof through applying a vertically compressive force directly on top of a user""s upright torso axis which can be performed without straining the neck and without causing any range of motion, or, in other words, a hand-free weightlifting exercise.
In prior art patent as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,818, dated Apr. 13, 1999, issued to Zahiri et al., entitled xe2x80x9cAxial Loading Apparatus For Strengthening The Spinexe2x80x9d in which the compressive force is applied through head loading. Taken into consideration, a vertical compressive force loaded on top of a patient""s head cannot avoid compressing the neck which is the narrowest part of the body and susceptible to injury through overloading force. In order to save the neck, the force applied is used to be too small to be effective in strengthening the lower portion of the torso which is much larger and thicker than the upper including the neck.
On the other hand, existing devices and apparatuses for strengthening the torso and the spine often damage the strength of the bony structure of the spine including the intervertebral discs thereof through strenuous exercise with various motions of the torso being performed under various forms of resistance. This can cause frictions and irreversible damages to the bony structure of the spine and muscles thereof.
Meanwhile, many other exercise machines arrange the users to be in horizontal positions in which the users are deprived of the great advantage of the gravitational loading for the skeletal formation as become an obvious basis of the rehabilitation science. A cited example of such is in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,370 dated Jan. 18, 2000, issued to Pandozy, entitled xe2x80x9cCombined Therapeutic Exercise Apparatus For The Backxe2x80x9d.
In the conventional weightlifting exercise, weightlifters gain full benefits of the gravitational force applied to strengthen their bodies. However weightlifting exercise has discouraged many people due to its highly exhaustible type of exercise and prerequisite of a strong health including an efficient range of motion which many people do not possess.
In treatment of the prevailing back pain, particularly, the lumbar back pain, existing devices and apparatuses often fail to localize and tackle the weak point persisting at the inner convex side of the lumbar spine. According to Wolff""s law, bone growth occurs on the concave side and bone resorption on the convex side. This means the concave side of the lumbar spine is stronger with more density of bone mass than its opposite convex side. In order to cure the lumbar back pain effectively, all sides of the lumbar spinal column must be equally strengthened. Again, Wolff""s law is referred which states that bone mass and density will be increased in areas of stress. The detrimental effect of immobilization and non-weight bearing environments is the significant reduction in bone density. To give the convex side of the lumbar spine an equal chance of rehabilitation in a stress and weight-bearing environment, it deserves our consideration to provide an apparatus and a method to apply an adequate vertically compressive force directly to the convex side of the lumbar spine which is hidden inside the torso.
The present invention anterior loading apparatus is thus developed to overcome all the shortcomings mentioned above by utilizing the vertical or axial load to apply a compressive force directly on the inner spine at its convex side localized within the torso and the surrounding muscles and ligaments thereof effectively. The present invention anterior loading apparatus and its method of operation require neither strenuous exercise, range of motion, nor vigorous health of the user, straining neither the neck nor the limbs, causing neither friction nor damage to the bony structure of the spine, but increasing the strength of the overall torso, including the inner spine, muscles and ligaments thereof. The anterior loading apparatus directs an adequate compressive force from top of the upright torso axis to strengthen the inner convex side of the lumbar spine whose weight-bearing function in normal situation is likely to be underused. Therefore, the present invention apparatus and method render the right solution to the weakness and chronic pain in the lumbar spine region.
In addition, the anterior loading apparatus and its operation method train the user to form his or her spinal line in close alignment with the load thrust line which is for the best performance and safety of the spinal column in carrying its function of bearing the body weight and external loads. The load thrust line is the line of action of the loads carried by the spinal structure. By means of repetitive training with the present invention anterior loading apparatus, the user is encouraged to form the desirable habit of holding a straight upright posture and preventing the undesirable posture of slouching back and shoulders. Other posture training devices, for example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,940 dated Apr. 6, 1993 issued to Morris et al., entitled xe2x80x9cPosture Training And Correcting Devicexe2x80x9d does not train the user""s awareness of proper alignment of the spinal line with the load thrust line.
The present invention is an anterior loading apparatus and a method for strengthening a person""s torso, inner spine, ligaments and muscles thereof and for training the person to aware of the proper spinal alignment and to develop a desirable habit of holding straight upright posture by applying a vertically compressive force directly on top of a user""s upright anterior torso axis, defined at the base of the front neck between the two collarbones, whereby the user is urged to straighten up, pushing forward his or her upper chest, holding in his or her abdominal muscles and maintained in such position for a period of time, whereby the compressive force strengthens the user""s torso, inner spine, ligaments and muscles thereof while developing the person""s upright posture and awareness of the proper spinal alignment.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my present invention are:
(a) to provide an anterior loading apparatus and a method for strengthening a user""s torso, inner spine, ligaments and muscles thereof by applying a compressive force vertically on top of the anterior body of the user;
(b) to provide an anterior loading apparatus and a method for training a user to form the habit of holding straight upright posture and discourage the habit of holding slouching posture by urging a vertical load on top of the anterior body of the user;
(c) to provide an anterior loading apparatus and a method for applying a compressive force to strengthen a user""s body without compressing the user""s neck and causing injuries thereto;
(d) to provide an anterior loading apparatus and a method for performing a hand-free weight-bearing exercise;
(e) to provide an anterior loading apparatus and a method for applying a mechanical compression to top of the anterior torso axis to simulate gravity to rehabilitate the underused convex side of the lumbar spine;
(f) to provide an anterior loading apparatus and a method for training a user to align the spinal line with the load thrust line for the optimum performance of the spinal structure;
(g) to provide an anterior loading apparatus with a means for vertically and horizontally adjusting the apparatus to fit different body dimensions of individual users;
(h) to provide an anterior loading apparatus with a means for selecting the amount of compressive force to suit different physical strength of individual users.
Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.